Play Monster
by CSI1983
Summary: Peter and Olivia investigate a case that starts with an innocent looking incident in her apartment. - P/O of course. A continuation of the previous story " The Monster Within". No a required read to understand this one but it is encouraged :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One – Never Let Me Go

Her legs were wet, the dampness inching higher and higher with every step that she took. She ignored the slight shiver and kept her head down. She slid into the dark alleyway as planned, humming herself to keep away the nerves. This is what they got for the Fringe Division being quiet, they got roped into normal cases. Olivia had almost forgotten the adrenaline and on the very edge, the fear. The Fringe Division had been a part of her life for so long that she had almost believed that there was none of this old fashioned crime fighting anymore. Yet, somehow here she was about to finish off a case that she and Peter had been working on for the last month. There was a drug ring working its way around the city. Normally, it wouldn't be on the top of the FBI's priority list but that changed the day that people started dying from the drugs, which turned out to be cut with bleach and rat poison. She slid behind the dumpster and waited. It was all a matter of timing. They had to intercede at the moment of the transaction otherwise it could be for nought. If their guy showed up at all. The cold weather had taken out half the agents with the flu, which was another reason that she was here, working with a unit that seemed so separate from her own. There were other agents there as well but you would only notice them if you knew what to look for. Olivia kept her head low and waited, her gun in her hand, her eyes on the mouth of the alleyway.

The only thing that Olivia wanted was a long hot shower. She needed to defrost the cold that had inched its way all over her body. She frowned when she hit the hallway, frowning at the box at the front of her apartment. She wasn't expecting any packages. She slowly moved closer, examining it without touching the tall, wide box. She finally bit the bullet and touched the box, feeling the solid weight in her hands as she slowly turned it over, checking the bottom. Nothing. She was still trying to figure out who would send her such a large package when her apartment door swung open. Peter leaned against the door frame, a smile on his face.

"Thought I could hear you frowning."

Olivia lifted the box slightly towards Peter.

"You didn't hear it get dropped off?"

Peter shook his head.

"Any return address?"

"Nope."

Peter took it from her hands and shook it slightly, shrugged before stepping back from the door way.

"Get in the shower before you catch that damn flu that's going around."

Olivia slid in and shrugged off her coat.

"Easy for you to say all toasty and dry in my apartment."

"Not my fault. I'm following orders."

"When the hell did you start doing that?"

When the Fringe Division had hit it's quiet patch, Broyles had moved her onto another case, making sure that Peter stayed out the of warfare. Olivia knew why he had done it but she had to admit, she had missed having Peter beside her. Peter chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"Welcome home. Got have a shower, then we'll open your mystery package."

Olivia leaned in for another kiss before heading into the bedroom. She stripped off her wet clothes, wrapping herself in towel before dumping them into the washing machine and flicking it on. When she got into the bathroom, she turned it on as hot as it would go and stepped under the hard spray. She didn't step out until every inch of her body hummed with warmth. Dressed and feeling much warmer, she headed back into the living room and took a seat next to Peter on the sofa.

"So what do you think it is?"

Peter smile slightly.

"No idea."

Olivia stood and fished around for her letter opener before taking her seat again.

"So how did the sting go?"

Olivia shrugged as she sliced open the cardboard.

"Same as always I am assuming. We got the guy and everyone went home safe."

"That's the dream, isn't it?"

"Apparently so."

Olivia resisted the urge to simply upend the box and tip out the contents. Instead she shifted aside the packing nuts, her hand brushing against something round and rough.

"What the hell?"

She kept digging, Peter watching closely beside her. When she finally pulled out the contents, she started to laugh. She leaned against Peter as the laughter shook her entire body, making her sides ache. When she finally caught her breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes and finally got a good look at the special delivery. Stuffed and mounted on a solid block of wood was a penguin. Huge and regal looking, it's glass eyes looked directly at her.

"Simon, you cheeky bastard."

Simon Wallace, a young marine biologist, had worked with them on a case a little over six months ago. He had almost died more than once and despite a handsome offer from Nina Sharp to remain in the country and work for Massive Dynamic, he opted for a research mission in Antarctica. The last time Simon and Olivia had spoken, he had promised her a penguin and until right that second, she had forgotten that oath.

"Simon Wallace returns."

Olivia heard the edge in Peter's voice but ignored it. Simon had developed a bit of a crush on Olivia and Peter had become somewhat jealous. There was nothing there, Olivia had a great deal of affection for Simon but it didn't move beyond friendship and admiration. He was a good worker and his intelligence made him a great partner for Walter when they were trying to figure out what precisely had killed a young girl in a small lake not far from the city. Olivia emptied out the last of the packing nuts from the box and found a stiff, white envelope tucked at the bottom of the package. She sliced it open and unfolded the letter.

_Olivia,_

_Hello stranger. Hopefully this guy will get to you safe and sound. I told you I would get you a penguin!_

_I'll be back in the city soon, so I'll give you a call when I leave the Great White and head back to the normal world._

_Simon._

Peter was examining her penguin, tipping it up before carefully examining the edges of the animal.

"Whoever did this, did a great job. Almost likes this fella is ready to jump into the ocean."

"I cannot believe he managed to keep his promise."

"Seems like the kind of guy who hates to breaks them. Did he say when he would be back?"

Olivia shrugged.

"I would assume that it will be soon. The trip was only meant to be for six months."

"Ok."

Olivia tore her eyes from the penguin and examined Peter.

"You still don't trust him, do you? Even after everything that he did."

Peter sighed.

"It's not what you think."

"Yes it is. You are still jealous."

"Nope."

"Liar."

"We never really knew him, did we?"

"We knew enough. He almost gave his life to solve our case. In fact, if I remember it correctly, he broke the case. And saved my life."

"Walter helped with that one."

Olivia smiled.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You have nothing to worry about. Simon is my friend."

"He always wanted something more."

"Maybe. But I didn't and still don't. Isn't that the only thing that matters?"

Peter huffed and Olivia shook her head. It was always so strange to see Peter like this. She knew it wasn't a matter of trusting her, it was a matter of trust for Simon. Peter respected him, but made no secret of the fact that he didn't trust him.

"So, when Simon comes back-"

"I'll behave."

Olivia smiled.

"He likes you too, you know. And Walter. I thought we would never be able to drag those two apart."

"Great minds think alike."

"More like crazy ones. Worked with Fringe, remember? There has to be something wrong with you to work with this division."

Peter leaned back from her slightly.

"Oh really? What's wrong with me?"

Olivia sighed.

"We don't have all night."

Peter poked her gently in the ribs.

"Come on Dunham, what's wrong with me?"

"You're just plain nuts. In fact you are so crazy, I don't think they have come up with a word that defines it yet."

"The woman I love, ladies and gentlemen. It's like a giant hug."

Olivia smiled.

"Yeah, but you still love me so that's ok."

Peter sighed, his eyes sliding back to the penguin.

"This apartment is going to be awfully crowded with three living here."

Olivia shrugged.

"He won't eat much. And you have to admit, he is rather impressive."

"I wonder how he died."

"Something to ask when you see Simon next."

"I hope that it was natural causes. There is something deeply sad about pulling him from home for no reason."

Olivia smiled.

"Softie."

Peter pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Yup, that's me."

Olivia sighed and sunk deeper into his embrace.

"I'm glad that he's safe at the very least. I thought that they would find him years from now encased in ice."

Peter chuckled.

"Now there's an image."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N - Hey guys...So I love the slow starts, can't help myself. I liked Simon Wallace way too much to let him fade away completely. He's been sitting in the back of my head waiting to get the rest of his story heard. I'm going to take this chance to say thank you to S.A Fringie who has been listening to be rant and rave while I've been trying to figure out the conclusion to Simon Wallace. I hope that you all enjoy the end result!_

_As always..._

_Read, enjoy and review!_

Chapter Two – The Difference Is You

Olivia half listened to the steady pelt of the rain and half listened to Peter's voice as he read from the newspaper out loud. She was taking a well-deserved day off, under Broyles insistence. Surprisingly, the weather seemed to have caused an odd wave of quiet to take over the city.

"Looks like the rain is here to stay a little longer."

"Good for those with inside jobs. Not so much for us."

"If it stays as quiet as it has been, it would be good for us."

Olivia sighed and snuggled deeper into the blankets, her head on Peter's chest.

"I like this weather. Nothing better than staying in bed when it likes this."

"Why, Olivia Dunham, are you confessing to laziness?"

"When it's like this? Completely."

Peter chuckled. He went back to reading the paper, Olivia zoning out slightly when he hit the business section. The rain kept up its steady fall and Olivia closed her eyes, the sound of Peter's voice and the rain lulling her into a false peace. When he was finished reading through the newspaper, Peter pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Breakfast?'

"Depends. What are we having?"

Peter smiled.

"What do you feel like?"

Olivia sighed and stretched.

"An omelette with all the trimmings."

"And coffee?"

"Of course."

Peter gave her one last kiss before slipping from her bed and ducking into the bathroom. She kept her eyes closed and listened to his movements when he went into the kitchen. Living in her apartment had happened by accident. They moved back and forth between places, but his place had one thing her apartment didn't – Walter. She had a soft spot for the man who was equal measures of intelligence and craziness but there was only so many times she could deal with him walking in on them. He honestly had the worse timing in that regard. Even when they locked the door, he would knock loudly, pouring cold water on whatever alone time they were enjoying. Plus, Olivia was a creature of habit. She liked being around her own things. But that was changing too as Peter became more and more integrated into her life. She enjoyed the smell of cooking eggs, waiting for another five minutes before pushing off the blankets and heading into the kitchen. She watched as Peter folded the omelette with practised ease, knowing already what would be packed inside. Mushrooms, capsicum, onion, garlic, cheese, parsley and a pinch of chili pepper. Just the way he liked it and she had come to love it too. He slid half the omelette onto a plate, buttering half a toasted bagel before putting it in front of her.

"Breakfast is served."

"Yummy. Thank you."

She dug in pushing it down with the hot coffee that Peter had placed next to her plate. They ate in a comfortable silence, which is why Olivia heard the first soft dripping sounds. She brushed it off. Then it came again and again. She abandoned her breakfast and wondered into the living room, looking up at the ceiling. There were a series of small drops of water lined over the ceiling. Olivia frowned. She was in the middle section of the building. She should be the last person to have a leaky ceiling.

"I don't know much about buildings, but I know that a leaky ceiling a not a good thing."

"It's coming from Mrs Green's apartment."

"Who is she?"

Olivia offered him a small smile.

"The elderly woman who gave you a grilling the other day."

Peter nodded slowly as he remembered.

"Oh her. Yeah, she was scary."

"She's a little old lady."

"A very intimidating one."

Olivia chewed her lip for a second before nodding slightly.

"I'm going to check on her."

Olivia turned back into her room, pulling on some socks and pants, trying to look slightly more awake that she felt. She gave Peter a quick kiss before heading out the door and upstairs. She knocked on the door.

"Mrs Green, its Olivia from downstairs."

When there was no answer, she tested the door knob, surprised to find it unlocked. As soon as it was open completely, she knew that whatever she found would not be good. The smell of death was heavy in the air. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should investigate further. Her curiosity got the better of her. She closed the door behind her and followed the distinct smell to the bathroom. She pushed the half open door with her foot, careful to not touch anything. Clearly, Mrs Green had been there for a while. Her naked body was bloated, the water from the still running tap flooding the bathroom and the carpet of the apartment. Olivia pulled out her phone as she made her way carefully out of the apartment, her stomach in her throat, dialling 911.

* * *

Olivia frowned as she saw Broyles pull up to the front of the building. Since it was a crime scene, everyone had been ushered out of the building and questioned. Despite the rain and despite the cold, Olivia didn't really have a desperate need to go back into her apartment. Broyles greeted her with a slight nod.

"Dunham, you were first on the scene, weren't you?"

Olivia nodded slightly.

"Mrs Green lives above me. There was a leak in my ceiling and I went to check on her."

"Did you see anything?"

Olivia frowned.

"What was I meant to see?"

Broyles dismissed her question, asking her another.

"Are there security cameras in this building?"

"Only in the lobby. But you can avoid those if you take the stairs."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure."

Olivia took him around to the back of the building, showing him the back entrance that she used on occasion.

"You can only get in with a key."

Broyles examined the door closely.

"I'll get the technicians to check for prints."

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

Broyles remained silent as they made their way back to the front of the building.

"Do you have somewhere else to stay?"

"I'll figure something out. Are you going to tell me what is going on here?"

Broyles sighed.

"Get yourself sorted for accommodation first. I have some calls to make. Come and see me in a couple of hours."

Olivia opened her mouth to question him again but Broyles was already gone, heading over to one of the police officers that had arrived on the scene.

"What's he doing here?"

Peter arrived at her side, his face pulled into a frown.

"I have no idea."

"I was just talking to the detective. Apparently, we can go back inside in about an hour. So, you can pack a bag and come over to mine for a few days."

"Thank you."

Peter squeezed her hand.

"Of course. I gave Walter a call to tell him and he said he'll make a roast dinner for us tonight. And I talked to the landlord. He said he could have someone in to fix the ceiling tomorrow but they need to dry out Mrs Green's apartment first or it's a little pointless."

"You are handy to have around, Mr Bishop."

"I have my uses."

* * *

When they arrived at Peter's, Walter wasn't there.

"Was he planning to go out?"

Peter frowned.

"Not that I know of. I'll give Astrid a call."

Olivia took her suitcase upstairs before sitting on the end of the bed and taking off her shoes. So much for a day off. So far, with the statements and dead body, it was normal day at the office. Her phone ran shrilly in her pocket.

"Dunham."

"Hello Stranger."

Olivia couldn't help the smile at the familiar voice.

"Simon, welcome home."

"It's good to be back."

"You still have all your fingers and toes?"

Simon chuckled.

"Yeah, I do. Did you get the penguin?"

"He arrived safely. He's impressive, thank you."

"He was hell to get through customs. So how have you been?"

"Not too bad."

"How is Peter?"

"He's good too. Deeply impressed by the penguin."

Simon laughed.

"I thought he would be. Did you want to catch up for dinner or something tonight?"

"Walter has promised me a roast but you are welcome to join us. He will be happy to see you."

"I have presents for him too."

"Nothing live I hope."

"No."

"Good."

"So what time is dinner?"

"Not sure. Walter is MIA at the moment so you're guess is as good as mine."

"Do you mind if I bring a guest?"

"No. Who?"

"Her name is Ruby. We met on the expedition."

"Sure. Sounds like a plan. I'll give you a call once I know what we are doing."

"Ok talk soon."

"Bye."

She ended the call, still wearing a small smile. She had missed him, more than she had expected. They had a lot in common and both had a tendency to keep people at a distance. It didn't help that their career choices made it a requirement. When they had last spoken the thing that Simon was most excited about was the fact that he wanted to own a home and maybe a dog. He hadn't had a permanent address in years, his work and intelligence keeping him in high demand in scientific circles. Now he was back and apparently he had found something that he hadn't expected on his expedition.

"So I called Astrid."

Peter's face was a mask of confusion.

"Where is he?"

"At the lab, performing an autopsy."

Olivia frowned.

"On who?"

"On Mrs Green. On Broyles's request."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N - Hey guys...So read, enjoy and review!_

Chapter Three – I'm Never Sure What I See

Peter remained in tense silence as they drove to the lab. He was protective of Walter, they both were. And with cases running through them first, it meant that Walter didn't have to exposed to anything he didn't have to be. Despite the intelligence and the craziness, he was still an old man. When they arrived, Walter was whistling over Mrs Green's body, removing a few sections of flesh and handing them to Astrid.

"That's what we need, Asprin."

"Walter, what are you doing?"

Walter turned to them, his goggles still clutching at his eyes.

"Peter! Olivia! How nice to see you."

"Walter, what are you doing?"

Walter frowned, taking off his gloves.

"As Broyles requested."

"Did he say why?"

"No. Should I have asked?"

Peter sighed and Astrid offered him a smile and a folder.

"Apparently, it's not the first."

Peter didn't really pay attention to the names, glancing at the causes of death.

"What does Mrs Green have to do with anything? She drowned."

Walter clicked his tongue.

"Not that simple Son. There is no water in her lungs."

"So her cause of death?"

Walter shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea. But that is what an autopsy is for."

Walter turned her back to them and got back to work. Peter glanced at Olivia.

"I think we should go and see Broyles."

* * *

Peter was a few steps in front of her, his annoyance held in every inch of his body. Peter didn't bother knocking, pushing open Broyles's office door.

"So were you planning to tell us what was going on or just have Walter do the work for you?"

He threw the folder onto Broyles's desk, watching it slide to a stop. Broyles sighed.

"I was hoping I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"Sit down, both of you."

Peter huffed but did as he was told. Olivia squeezed his knee as she sat, trying to calm him down. They watched as Broyles placed a large box on his desk.

"Seven cases in two years."

"What are they?"

"People who seemed to have killed themselves but it's never that easy. Your Mrs Green for example. She looked as if she drowned but there was no water in her lungs."

"So you called Walter in to do the autopsy."

"Yes. I didn't want to jump the gun. I wanted to be sure."

Peter glanced at the box.

"Seems to me that you have plenty to go on."

"It would seem that way but it's a false illiusion. These people, whoever they are, have nothing in common. They all went missing in different places, all ages, all colours. Nothing about them is similar."

"All missing people?"

"They all show up on the list eventually."

"What are some of the causes of death?"

Broyles sighed.

"How about you take it home with you and tell me what you think?"

Peter silently picked up the box and left his office, making his annoyance known to all. Broyles offered her a small frown.

"I am sorry for going around him."

"I know. But you can't do that, not if you want to keep working with either of them."

Olivia gave him a slight nod before following Peter out of the office.

* * *

Olivia fought the temptation to look in the box right away but Walter kept demanding her attention. The roast was almost done and Walter was trying to teach her how to make complicated gravy. On the rare occasion that she made it, it was the simple one that Rachel had taught her years ago, utilising the juices from the meat and a little bit of flour. Nothing much. But Walter's demanded wine, salt and pepper and a particular stirring technique. When there was a knock on the front door, Olivia literally dropped the wooden spoon and rushed from the kitchen. Simon had lost weight on his grand adventure but aside from a little scruff on his chin and cheeks, he looked the same.

"Olivia, you are a sight for sore eyes."

Simon pulled her into a hug and she closed her eyes, squeezing him gently back, his raincoat brushing roughly against her cheek.

"You look good."

"You look better. Olivia, this is Ruby Carter."

Olivia hadn't given the concept of who Ruby was much thought. She hadn't had the time. But she knew that she hadn't expected this. Ruby was young, no more than twenty-five, her hair cut into a pixie style, making her wide eyes huge on her face. She flashed Olivia a wide, nervous grin.

"Hi."

Olivia took their coat and hung them by the door. Second later, Walter came bursting out of the kitchen.

"Olivia, I need your-"

His sentence hung unfinished in the air. He looked Simon up and down, his smile slow.

"Hello Mr Wallace. Welcome back to the real world."

"Hi Dr Bishop. This is Ruby."

Walter, suddenly remembering his manners, offered his hand to Ruby.

"Hello young lady. Do you cook?"

Ruby flicked a glance at Simon, who nodded slightly before she answered.

"Yes Sir."

"It's Walter. Simon's just too polite. Come, you can help me since my last assistant abandoned me."

It was a dig at Olivia but she ignored it. She watched as Walter all but dragged Ruby into the kitchen closing the door behind them. Olivia turned back to Simon.

"You're not wearing a suit."

Simon smiled.

"I'm not some classified scientist anymore. No need to wear a suit like a penguin when you study them."

Olivia chuckled.

"You would have fitted right in."

"Yeah, I just needed to perfect the walk and I would have been one of them."

"Give me a second to find out what Peter is doing. He should be down here. Grab yourself a drink."

She pointed to where Walter kept his alcohol before heading upstairs. The door to their bedroom was firmly closed and Olivia frowned. She knocked lightly before pushing open the door.

"Peter?"

Clearly, Peter had less self-control then she did. Spread out over their bed was the contents of the box that Broyles had given them earlier. Peter gave her a slight smile.

"Sorry. I couldn't wait."

Olivia slipped into the room and closed the door quietly. She settled herself beside him on the bed, leaning into him slightly to check out the files. Broyles had been right. At first glance, there was nothing connecting these people.

"We can go over it soon. For now, Simon is here."

She could feel the shift in Peter's mood.

"Ok."

"I forgot to tell you didn't I?"

"Forgot to tell me what?"

"He brought a woman with him. Her name is Ruby."

Peter huffed.

"This should be an interesting night."

Olivia pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Walter's cooking. We knew that going in."

* * *

Olivia wondered if what she saw between Ruby and Simon was what others saw between her and Peter. Simon listened intently when she spoke about herself and her family, even though Olivia was certain he would have heard the story before. He had eyes for Ruby and Olivia could almost see the second that Peter saw it too. He started to visibly relax, topping up their drinks and chatting easily. Both he and Walter were talking to her about her expedition to Antarctica and Olivia took the opportunity to start clearing off the table. Simon pressed a quick kiss to Ruby's cheek before he started helping her gathering the dishes. Alone in the kitchen, Olivia started to make some coffee.

"Ruby seems nice."

Simon huffed slightly.

"You have no idea. You should have seen her with Julia. It was brilliant."

"Made an impression?"

"Well, considering Julia gave me this, I'm going to say yes."

Simon flicked the tea towel over his shoulder and fished around in his front pocket for a moment, pulling out a small, velvet box. He flicked open the top and Olivia took in the delicate engagement ring.

"Wow."

Simon glanced at the ring, looking rather proud of himself.

"I know. But I want this. She makes me…."

Olivia smiled as Simon struggled with words.

"She makes me feel better about everything."

"I think it's fantastic."

"You know how you feel about Peter? That's how I feel about Ruby. Not having her in my life is not worth thinking about."

"She makes you better."

"Yes, she does."

"You didn't expect to find her on your little expedition, did you?"

Simon nodded slightly as he dried the dishes.

"Yeah, she took me by surprise. It was the last thing I expected. Falling in love in Antarctica."

"That's a hell of a story."

"I know. But there's still a part of me that questions it. I don't even know if that is normal."

"Oh it is."

"Duly noted."

They finished the dishes in silence, the sound of laughter traveling from the living room and into the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming and I'll keep writing..._

_In this chapter I was aiming to explain Peter's jealousy of Simon a little better. To me, Peter Bishop is a fairly open person, with a Olivia in particular. So I felt the little scenes in this chapter fit them well. But if I have failed, let me know..._

_So read, enjoy and review!_

Chapter Four - When The Silence Is Too Loud

The house was ringing in peaceful silence as Olivia and Peter sat side by side in bed reading over the files. There was just the soft sound of turning paper as they went over the box of files that Broyles had given them.

"He's right."

"There's nothing that connects these people."

"So how about we look at how they died?"

Olivia took out the file on their youngest victim, a nineteen year old boy.

"Shot himself in the head. But there was no gun powder on his hands."

Peter shook his head.

"Not possible."

"The funny thing was that he had it on his clothes."

"When did that happen?"

Olivia glanced at the crime scene notes.

"A few months ago."

"This girl here, I'm not so sure about. She bled out from a bad amputation of her hand. There was evidence that she did it to herself with an electric bread knife. She had her own flesh under her nails."

Peter pulled a face.

"Graphic."

"Why would someone kill themselves that way?"

"More importantly why wasn't more blood found at the crime scene? I mean look at these pictures."

Olivia leaned into Peter, looking at the pictures. There was barely any blood at all considering the woman had cut off her own hand.

"She was killed somewhere else."

They continued to work through the files, Olivia taking scribbled notes, trying to connect the victims together. But they were missing something. Because at the moment, it almost seemed as if their names were pulled from a hat. Olivia felt the delicious tug of sleep at the back of her eyes, she tried to shrug it off but good company, good food and vast glasses of wine insured that she wouldn't be fighting it for long. She gathered the files off her legs, putting them onto the bedside table. She sighed as she snuggled into the blankets. She kept her eyes closed as Peter did the same, flicking off the light and nuzzling into her, his breath warm on her cheek as his body shaped her own, his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Olivia smiled at his moan of protest when she turned to face him, their foreheads touching. He pulled her body closer until there was no space between them.

"Simon is going to ask Ruby to marry him."

Peter smiled slightly, his eyes sparkling in the darkness.

"I like her. She's a smart girl."

"Kind of has to be to keep up with Simon."

"Well Walter gave his seal of approval."

Olivia smiled.

"She cooked with him. I'm surprised he didn't chain her up to the counter. He wasn't too impressed by my skills."

Peter chuckled.

"Don't worry; you're not the only one. He gets annoyed if I whip cream the wrong way."

"There's a wrong way to whip cream?"

"Apparently."

Peter pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm glad you're here. I know you prefer your apartment."

Olivia smiled.

"It's only because living with Walter is the very definition of a challenge."

"You would be here regardless. I would not let you stay in your apartment even if the roof wasn't leaking."

"Because of what happened to Mrs green, right?"

"Yes. There was no way you were going to stay there. It is too risky."

"I would have been fine. I have to go back eventually."

"I know but you have no idea how relieved I am that you are safe here with me."

His mouth found hers again and stayed there as his hands slipped under her shirt and started touching her bare skin. She gasped in his mouth as he stroked the tender flesh, suddenly alert to every move he made as he shifted so that he was laying above her. Her hands moved on their own accord, traveling down his back, making small scratchy circles as her hands dipped lower. He groaned in her mouth. He pulled away long enough to tug off her clothes with impatient hands. Olivia let out a shaky breath as she tugged his clothes from his body too, both of them fully aware that any loud noises would get Walter's attention and he would make his way upstairs to investigate. Their kisses became more heated as they continued to touch in silence encased in the warm darkness.

* * *

When Olivia woke up in the morning, she was surprised to find that it wasn't her alarm or her mobile that woke her. It was the smell of pancakes and coffee that jolted her from sleep and made her stomach rumble. Olivia stretched, reluctant to leave the warmth of the bed and the delicious liquid feeling in her body. She feigned sleep when she heard someone coming upstairs. It only took her a second to realise it was Peter, the smell of soap mingling with pancake batter and coffee. He sat on the bed, causing it to sink slightly, leaning over her.

"Breakfast Miss Dunham."

He gave her a soft kiss and she found herself smiling against his lips. He tasted like pancakes and maple syrup.

"This is the first time in a long time that the alarm or Broyles didn't wake me up."

"I thought this way was better."

"Well played. Do I have time to grab a shower?"

"Yeah. Can I watch?"

Olivia chuckled as she swatted him away, pulling herself out of the blankets.

"No, you can do downstairs and tell Walter I'm using the bathroom so I don't give him a free peep show."

When she had first started spending time there, it didn't take her long to know the reason why there was no longer a lock on the bathroom door. More than once, Walter had locked himself in the bathroom and work himself up into a state and then be unable to unlock it. Peter had quickly removed the lock and Olivia and Peter had spent more and more time in her apartment. Peter sighed and headed back downstairs. Olivia quickly pulled out some fresh clothes, wrapping herself in a towel, still naked from the night before. Too paranoid about a curious Walter walking in, she quickly showered. Now dressed, she found the hairdryer that Peter had gotten her when she first started staying, quickly drying her hair before finally heading downstairs. She took a seat beside Peter at the table, blinking as a half-naked Walter placed a large stack of pancakes in front of her.

"Good morning Olivia. Eat up, while it's hot."

Walter turned back to the oven, showing Olivia that he was merely wearing boxers and an apron. Oh and of course his slippers. Peter snorted, pouring a generous amount of maple syrup on her pancakes.

"Welcome back. Eat up."

Olivia did as she was told, easily eating the stack of pancakes and downing two mugs of coffee waving off Walter's offer for seconds. Peter cleared the plates off the table, tapping Walter on the shoulder.

"Go get dressed. I'll clean up and we can head to the lab."

"Right."

"Thanks for breakfast Walter."

Walter turned on his way from the kitchen, offering her a wide smile.

"You're welcome dear. It's nice to have some company over breakfast."

When he had left to get changed, Olivia joined Peter in the kitchen, sighing as she leaned against the counter.

"Well, that makes me feel guilty."

"What?"

"You being with me and him here alone."

Peter shook his head.

"Don't be silly. He knows we need our own space."

"But still."

Peter leaned in, giving her a kiss.

"Forget it. We have enough to do today."

"What?"

"Walter is going over Mrs Green's autopsy results with us today. And I am guessing that Broyles giving us these files wasn't a casual move."

"So we have a case then."

"Of course we do. Problem is, that what the hell is the connection?"

"Maybe we'll know more with Mrs Green's autopsy."

"Maybe. But at least we have an extra set of eyes on this one."

Olivia frowned.

"Who?"

"Simon."

"For one, he doesn't do this stuff anymore. For two, you didn't want him here to start with."

Peter shrugged, trying to act casual as he stacked the last of the dishes.

"Well, he's good."

"No, it's because of Ruby."

Peter dried off his hands and turned to face Olivia properly.

"I can't help that it makes me jealous. Nor can I help that I want us to remain us."

"I'm not going anywhere. You haven't learnt that yet, have you?"

"After everything we went through, after everything I did, I wouldn't blame you. And that's what worries me."

Olivia moved in closer, desperate to get that look off his face. He looked so vulnerable, sad and resigned that it broke Olivia's heart. What they went through with the other side was by a design of a mad man. It was Walternate who had lured Peter away, it was Walternate who replaced her with the other version of herself. And for a while there, she forgot who she was too. It had almost destroyed their budding relationship completely but they had found each other again. And it wasn't until they had that Olivia realized that he was the one person she didn't doubt. She knew that since he had failed her once, it would never happen again. Peter, more than most things, hated letting people down.

"Look at me."

Peter's face still carried the frown as he tried but failed not to look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, ok? Not even Walter making me pancakes half naked could do that."

Peter smiled and Olivia kissed him, pulling him close and into a hug.

"Now, clear that head of yours, Bishop. We have business to attend to."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – This Is All I Have

When they arrived at the lab, Olivia was surprised to see Simon there, goggles on, standing over Mrs Green in a plastic cover over his jeans and long sleeved shirt. He was talking softly to Astrid, who was listening closely as he motioned over the body.

"Simon?"

Simon seemed shocked to hear his name, turning and after a moment offering them all a smile.

"Good morning."

"What are you doing here?"

"Walter called me."

Walter merely smiled and stripped off his coat.

"Asteroid, do you mind handing me the gloves and cover?"

Astrid did so with a smile. Simon turned back to them, his face now pulled into a deep frown.

"Walter, did you do much behind the autopsy?"

"How so?"

"Medical history, things like that?"

Walter shook his head.

"Broyles requested the cause of death, nothing else."

"Well, there's something interesting."

He ushered them all forward, and Olivia watched as Simon uncovered Mrs Green's hands. Olivia had never noticed the odd angle of her fingers before. Simon picked up her hand gently, running his hands over the dead woman's fingers.

"What do you see?"

Olivia could hear the frown in Peter's voice.

"Why is her hand like that?"

"Rheumatoid arthritis."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, arthritis swells the joints and can be incredible painful, making normal tasks impossible."

"The bath."

The idea hit Olivia so hard that she almost physically felt it.

"She never would have been able to turn on the taps.."

Simon nodded.

"Exactly."

"But she was found in the bath tub the water running."

Simon shook his head, his voice low.

"I am telling you, there is no way she would have been able to turn those taps on. Judging by the state of her hands, she would have had a nurse coming in to help her with showering, cooking, everything."

"So not possible that she committed suicide?"

"There's no way. She would have had trouble having a shower, even getting dressed. This would have been well beyond her physical capabilities. That's not the only thing."

Simon carefully placed Mrs Green's hand back under the sheet and moved around to grab a small file.

"The medications she was on for pain were expensive. And her medical cover was ending soon."

"She would have been in trouble."

"Big trouble. The pain would have been intense and relentless."

"So how did she end up in that tub for two days?"

"I have no idea. But I would start with the last person to see her. The community nurse, Anna Kent."

* * *

It didn't feel odd at all to have Simon trailing them again. The last case he had been with them on, he had come under the recommendation of Nina Sharp, which made Olivia instantly suspicious of him. But this time he was there on his own accord, nothing but a friend with an extra pair of eyes. Walter was finishing off the autopsy, the results taking longer than any of them had expected. Once they had a cause of death, they could keep moving. They moved as an easy unit, the men allowing Olivia to remain slightly ahead. Anna Kent lived close by and when they knocked on her door, her red eyes and sniffs were a clear indication that she had already gotten the news. Olivia felt a small tug of relief.

"Anna Kent? I'm Olivia Dunham. I have a few questions regarding Mrs Green."

Anna nodded and slowly Olivia put a face to the name. She had met her once a few months ago. It was in passing but it was enough for Olivia to remember.

"I know you."

Olivia smiled.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yeah, it's a shock. I've been looking after her for a couple of years now. We were good friends. Come in."

Olivia made quick introductions before getting to the point.

"How was she when you last saw her?"

"Polly was fine. I gave her a shower, changed her dressings and made sure she had everything she needed. It was the same as always."

"Didn't she say anything was bothering her?"

Anna frowned.

"Why? She just slipped in the bath tub didn't she?"

"We just want to make sure that there is no foul play."

"She was an old lady. Accidents happen."

They chatted with Anna a little longer before leaving with no new information. Olivia sighed, feeling the itch of irritation that a case made her feel. When her phone rang, she welcomed the distraction.

"Dunham."

"Olivia, it's Walter Bishop. We finally have the results for the autopsy."

"Ok we'll be there soon."

Simon and Peter were both leaning against the truck chatting. Olivia had never quite seen them like that before and as she got closer she knew why Simon was so damn animated. They were talking about Ruby.

"So what did she do precisely on the expedition?"

"Logging, photography and research. We all did the same thing. She was hardest to bring in at the end of the day. She would still be with the penguins if she could. She was the one who chose Ralph for Olivia."

"You named him Ralph?"

Simon smiled at Olivia, shrugging slightly.

"I don't know why. But the rest of us started calling him that too."

The men climbed into the truck, Peter taking the seat beside her as she started the truck.

"So that was Walter."

"And?"

"He's get the results of the autopsy."

"Did he sound happy?"

"He always sounds happy."

Peter chuckled.

"True."

Olivia flicked her eyes over the rear view mirror, her eyes catching Simon's.

"Where is Ruby today?"

"House hunting."

"Really?"

Simon nodded.

"I told you, I want to marry her. First step, is getting her here. She's like me. She's like us. She hasn't had a proper home in a long time. It was on her list of things to achieve. Her and Julia are spending the day together doing the house rounds."

Olivia smiled.

"Dog or cat?"

"Definitely dog. A big one. With funny ears."

"You could call him Ralph."

Simon chuckled.

"I don't know. Ruby is determined that any animal that we get will come from the pound. When she was growing up, all of the dogs in her family came from the pound and according to her, they were the best dogs in the world."

"Does she leave anything behind, moving here?"

Simon shook his head.

"Not really. Her parents died a few years ago and she's an only child."

"Well, she seems like a great person."

"She is."

They spent the rest of the drive in silence and when Olivia glanced at Peter, he smiled at her and squeezed her knee.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N - Hey guys...Keep the reviews coming :) It's getting there slowly but surely and fates have been decided._

_So, as always..._

_Read, enjoy and review :)_

Chapter Six – When The World Rumbles

When they arrived at the lab, Walter was sitting in a chair, scribbling notes, while Astrid handed him samples under the microscope. He offered them a quick glance before going back to work again.

"You took your time."

"Well, we were interviewing someone."

Walter sighed and pushed himself away from the table.

"Mrs Green didn't die from drowning."

"We knew that already. So what killed her?"

"Her heart stopped."

Olivia glanced at Peter.

"So natural causes?"

"Nope. Aspen, can you pass me the heart please?"

Astrid turned away from them disappearing for a moment before returning with a heart in a container. Walter picked it up and held it out to them.

"Do you see anything?"

All three of them moved closer. Simon was the only one who donned gloves and extracted it from Walter's grasp, examining it on all angles.

"I can't see anything."

"Precisely. For her age, she had an incredible heart."

Olivia sighed, trying not to lose her patience.

"So?"

"Her heart had no reason to stop."

"So what is her cause of death?"

"Shock. Something got her so worked up her heart stopped."

"So not natural causes?"

Walter shook his head. He seemed to be confused that they couldn't see what he did.

"That is one of the healthiest heart's I have ever seen. There is no reason for it to stop, even at her age."

"So, her cause of death wasn't natural?"

"No it was not Agent Dunham. That's what I've been trying to say."

Peter smiled.

"Thanks for clearing that up Walter."

Simon frowned.

"Are there any others?"

"Sorry?"

"Did Broyles give you any other cases?"

"Yeah he did. I have them in the back of the truck."

Simon stuck out his hand and Olivia handed him the key, watching as Simon turned on his heel and headed out of the building. When he came back, the box of files in his arms, he wordlessly cleared off a table and poured out the contents. He was a whirlwind of activity as he quickly read through them, his frown becoming deeper.

"Shit."

"What?"

Simon sighed and finally raised his eyes from the files.

"You guys ever heard of the Testing Man?"

Peter frowned.

"The what?"

"The Testing Man."

"Who or what is a Testing Man."

"He's an urban legend I heard about when I first started working with.."

The sentence hung in the air and Simon smiled slightly.

"I can't say where. It's classified. But I can tell you about the Testing Man."

Walter clapped his hands.

"I do love a good story."

Walter took a seat across from Simon, giving him his full attention. Astrid rolled her eyes.

"It's not a good story Walter. People died, remember?"

Walter frowned.

"It's an urban legend how can an urban legend kill someone?"

Peter's voice was hot in Olivia's ear.

"He still hasn't learnt that nothing is an urban legend when it comes to Fringe."

Olivia offered him a small smile as she moved closer to Simon and Walter.

"Ok so tell us about this Testing Man."

"Well, according to the story, the Testing Man is this rich guy that likes to test people in the most demented way possible."

Olivia's eyes flicked over the files on the table.

"Like these?"

"Precisely like these."

"So we're hunting an urban legend."

"I'm not saying that. All I am saying is that this is giving me a bad feeling. A really bad one."

"We only have seven."

Peter's comment pulled all their attention to him. They all looked at him waiting for him to continue.

"If Simon is right, there should be hundreds of cases."

Olivia shrugged.

"Most of them would have slid under the radar. Think about it. Someone glances at the situation, suicides don't demand an autopsy if it is fairly obvious that it is a suicide. Which these, at first glance, are."

"But why?"

Walter's question hung in the air as he looked between them.

"Why these people?"

"Peter and I went over the files last night and we couldn't see any connection."

"There has to be something that makes these people similar."

"Well, none of the obvious things work. They don't even go to the same library."

"Anything else?"

"Not at first glance. We haven't had a chance to look deeper."

Simon gathered the files.

"Well, I can take a look. Astrid, will you mind giving me a hand?"

Astrid smiled.

"Sure."

"Wait."

They all froze as Walter held up his hand.

"The Testing Man. What did he do?"

"You ever hear of the game Would You Rather?"

All of them shook their heads.

"Well it was that. Things like would you rather stab yourself or another person. It is depravity in its ultimate form."

"And these people were victims."

"Maybe not. It's a feeling."

"We've worked with less."

Simon smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I remember."

Astrid helped Simon settle himself in front of a computer and they got to work. Olivia pulled out her phone and waited for Broyles to pick up.

"Broyles."

"It's Dunham. We have a theory. Have there been any other suspicious suicides aside from these seven that stuck out?"

"A couple. Nothing that reaches the level of the other victims I gave you. What's the theory?"

"I'll let you know if it comes to anything. Can you get those other victim's files to me?"

"Sure. Anything else?"

Olivia glanced at Simon.

"We might need some permission to get these bodies up and examined."

"You want me to exhume seven bodies on a hunch?"

"Unless you have a better idea, yes."

She heard the deep exhale of breath, Broyles making his annoyance clear.

"I'll see what I can do. Anything else?"

"We will need to talk to the families of the victims. I need to know what the connection is."

"So you want me to smooth the way for you?"

"No I think we might be ok. But we can wait until they give their permission to exhume the bodies. For the moment we can run the information that we have."

"Good. I'll get those files to you in the next couple of hours."

"Thank you."

Olivia ended the call and headed back to work.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N - Hey guys...Keep the reviews coming. They are the only thing that keep me writing...that and the ideas._

_So read, enjoy and review!_

Chapter Seven – You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone

"When he said a few, I think Broyles underestimated."

Broyles had the files delivered, as promised. Four boxes of files with suspicious deaths, over a hundred that covered the span of five years. Olivia hoped the only reason that these were overlooked is because they fell by the wayside. And she hoped that they could discount at least half with a little more investigation. There was no way that all of these families would ever agree to exhume all of these bodies. And there was no way that they would find the people to process the bodies with the precision that they needed. Olivia only trusted four people for the task and they were in the lab with her. Thankfully, Broyles moved quickly. They already had permission to exhume one body.

"Peter, we have to go and meet the diggers to get the body."

Peter, elbow deep in files like Astrid and Simon, shook his head slightly.

"Take Simon. I'm on a roll."

"What did you find?"

"Nothing yet. But I'm doing it really well."

Olivia grinned.

"Fair enough. Simon, care to keep me company?"

"Sure. Let me grab my coat."

"Guys?"

Both Simon and Olivia turned back around and Astrid smiled brightly.

"Coffee on the way back?"

Walter grinned and clapped his hands.

"Oh with some cakes. Something with rhubarb please."

"I'll see what I can do."

Olivia and Simon slipped from the lab and headed into the damp day. Simon settled himself in a truck, glancing at the file.

"Jerome Fuller."

Olivia nodded.

"Aside from Mrs Green, he's the most current victim we know of. He was only nineteen."

"He was the one who shot himself."

"Correct."

"So are we going to see his family too?"

"Yup. Oh and Broyles hooked you up with this."

Olivia waited until they got to a set of traffic lights before riffling around in the glove compartment, pulling out an FBI consultation I.D that allowed him access to the building.

"Just for this case. Don't worry I'm not trying to rope you back in."

Simon grinned and put the pass into his pocket.

"Good because I don't think it would work. It would require you going through Ruby first. It would not end well."

"For me or for Ruby?"

"For either of you."

Olivia smiled.

"I'll remember that."

Thankfully, the traffic was pretty thin and they made it to the cemetery in record time. What Olivia didn't expect was the small concession of people that surrounded the area. Olivia frowned as she made her way up the slight slope of the hill, pausing beside a larger woman who was wearing black and dabbing her eyes.

"Excuse me Miss, may I ask your name?"

The woman turned to face Olivia, a frown tugging on her aged face.

"I'm Darlene Fuller."

Darlene looked Olivia up and down.

"You must be Agent Dunham. You are the one who wants to dig up my boy."

Olivia swallowed slightly, her hands already on the agreement between the family and the FBI. They gave their consent.

"Why did you want to dig up my boy?"

"As part of an on-going investigation. I can't give more detail than that."

"Will it prove that my boy didn't kill himself?"

"Possibly."

"Very well then. But please be gentle."

"We will Mrs Fuller. We have our best people on this. You don't have to be here for this. It can be hard to watch."

"I know. But he's my boy. I need to be here."

"Ok."

Olivia flicked her eyes over to the workers that had gathered to perform the exhumation. They started to dig.

"Mrs Fuller, if you don't mind, could myself and my colleague come over and speak to you after we have transferred Jerome to our lab?"

"I suppose. But only if you aren't going to feed me lies. My boy didn't kill himself. He had a bright future."

"I know that Mrs Fuller, that why we are here. To find out the truth."

A loud wail ripped through the air as Jerome's casket finally came into view. A heavily pregnant young girl started to sway, her wail carrying on even as her legs gave beneath her weighted frame. Simon, who was standing just behind Olivia, shifted positions quickly catching the girl before she could hit the ground.

"Shit. Becca. Someone call an ambulance."

Olivia had her phone to her ear already before Darlene could finish the sentence. She flicked off the details. She watched as Darlene leant over the girl, stroking her hair and talking softly.

* * *

With Jerome now safely in the hands of Walter and Peter, Olivia and Simon headed over to the home of Darlene and Jerome. Becca, it turned out, was pregnant with Jerome's child. The stress of his death and then his exhumation was just too much for her. Her blood pressure had sky rocked and she had collapsed. Thankfully, her and the baby were fine but she needed to stay in hospital for a couple of days. And as they waited for Darlene to make them coffee, Olivia could see the evidence of Darlene's devotion to Jerome all over the walls. She had even framed the pictures that he had made as a child, side by side with the tiny hand and foot prints. Simon, solemn and silent gave her a sympathetic look. He was feeling it to. She hated dealing with the families that got caught up in these messes. It was a required evil and she knew that in the long run, she did it for answers. It was just said that half the time they weren't allowed those answers. Darlene came back into a living room with a tray, sugar and milk in front of them before taking a seat.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. So what is taking my boy out of the ground going to tell you?"

"How he died."

Darlene snorted.

"You can do what the others did and say that he killed himself."

Simon cleared his throat slightly.

"Is it possible?"

Darlene shook her head hard.

"No way. He was about to be a father. And he was so excited about his daughter being born."

"Being a young father can be scary."

"Not for Jerome. Becca and Jerome grew up together and started going out four years ago. He was going to marry her after the baby was born. My son had everything to live for. And I know in every inch of my body and soul that he would never do that to himself."

Olivia stirred sugar into her coffee and Simon passed her a glance before he started speaking again.

"Can you think of anyone that would want to hurt him?"

"No. He's a good boy. He always was."

"Did his behaviour change just before his death?"

"No."

Olivia watched and listened as Darlene knocked down any possibility that her son had been in any kind of trouble. It just confused her more. For a good kid to end up dead was a stretch. There had to be something. They finished their coffee and headed outside, Simon turning to her slightly as he strode to the truck.

"We should go and see Becca. She will know anything that Jerome might have been into."

"If he told her."

"Do you tell Peter everything?"

Olivia thought for a moment before nodding.

"Pretty much."

"I tell Ruby everything as well. But these two grew up together. They knew each other as intimately as possible. She'll know things that Darlene wouldn't."

"If she's up to it."

"I guess we'll see."

They made their way to the hospital that Becca had been admitted to and found their way to her room. Becca was lying on her side, her back to the door. Simon knocked on the wall.

"Excuse me, Miss Smith?"

"Yes?"

"We have a few questions for you about Jerome."

"He didn't kill himself."

Olivia was fairly certain that the only reason that Becca didn't turn in the bed was because she could barely move at all. Rachel was the same in her final stages of pregnancy with Ella. There were very few comfortable positions at that point. Simon and Olivia moved deeper into the room, moving around the bed so they could actually see Becca's face, which was red from crying. Olivia pulled a seat closer to the bed, sitting down so she was eye level with Becca.

"Becca, I'm Agent Olivia Dunham and this is Simon Wallace. We just need to ask you a few questions."

"You were at the cemetery today. You're the ones that wanted Jerome's body."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Part of an on-going investigation."

"About his murder?"

"If it is, yes."

Becca shook her head, her jaw clenched.

"He didn't kill himself. He wanted to be here for her."

Becca rubbed her swollen stomach in small circles.

"We were going to get married."

"Darlene told us about that."

"Instead I have to tell our daughter about her father. She will never know him the way we all did."

Simon knelt down beside the bed, his voice low.

"Becca, it's really important that you are honest with us, ok? We're not trying to hurt you or your family but we need to know the truth."

Becca considered Simon's request for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Ok."

"Did Jerome have any problems or were there any people who would want to hurt him?"

"No. Everyone loved Jerome."

"Was he stressed about anything before he died?"

Olivia saw the look that passed over Becca's face and she knew that Simon caught it too. He leaned closer.

"If this is a murder, the only way we are going to solve it is with your help. We need to know."

Becca said nothing, her hand still running small circles on her stomach. Simon pushed a little harder.

"If we don't solve this, it will always be listed as a suicide. Your daughter will never know the truth."

Becca flinched, her eyes filling with tears.

"He didn't kill himself."

"Then tell us what happened."

Becca sighed.

"He was stressed about money. He wanted a home for us, money for the wedding too. And I can't work. Darlene wanted us to live with her but we needed our own space, you know? He came home one night and said he had it sorted."

"Did he say how?"

"No. He wouldn't tell me. I was worried about him getting in too deep with a loan shark or doing something for a gang. But I never got an answer, just him saying it was easy money. Next thing I know, he's dead and everyone is calling it a suicide."

"Was he gone long?"

Becca shook her head.

"No. A day or so. He would stay with friends while he bounced around for interviews. We don't have a car so it made it easier than always taking public transport."

"So he never told you where he was going?"

"No. And now he's gone. He's never coming home again."

With that, Becca started to cry in earnest. Simon reached over and grabbed some tissues and handed them to her, holding her hand as she continued to sob.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N__ – Hey folks…..Please review should you enjoy the chapter…..been lacking a bit as of late and t's little sad _

_Thanks_

Chapter Eight – Hold Onto Our Lullaby

With Simon with her, it was like having a little bit of Peter with her. Simon didn't get impatient with Becca, merely waited until the tears ceased and then made her a promise that he would do his best to get this sorted, not for her but for her daughter. When they were leaving the hospital, Olivia offered Simon a small smile.

"You were great in there."

Simon shrugged.

"She's young and scared. She deserves the truth. And if I hadn't been there, you would have done the same. You're not as hard as you seem Olivia Dunham. You never have been. We have seen the evidence, remember?"

He offered her a wink as they get into the truck.

"So we learnt that the only thing that was bothering Jerome was the concept of money."

"Hardly surprising. Name one father-to-be that isn't worried about that kind of thing."

"But perhaps that is just what we need. Astrid and I noticed that it was the one thing that the victims had in common. They were all struggling financially."

"You found the connection."

"Don't jump the gun. We're not sure yet."

"But it's the one thing they have in common."

"Until we know more, yes."

Olivia chewed her lip.

"But why would someone take advantage of that? And how? How are they contacted?"

Simon shrugged.

"I don't have all the answers I am afraid. But we will have them soon enough."

"God, Peter's optimism is catching."

Simon chuckled.

"Not quite. This is it for me, the last hurrah. And I plan to go out with a bang."

* * *

When they arrived back at the lab, coffee and the requested cakes in hand, Peter was walking the floorboards furiously, his hair sticking up at odd angles. He was getting frustrated.

"Simon thinks he knows the connection."

Peter stopped striding.

"What?"

"Money. According to Becca, Jerome's fiancée, he was stressed out about their impending parenthood and finding a home. And he needed money to do it."

Astrid stood up from behind the table, taking one of the coffees on offer.

"And Mrs Green needed it for her health costs. Otherwise, she was going to end up in a home. We found most of the files contained the issue of finances."

"Good to know. We managed to discount half of the files that Broyles gave us. But most of them stuck."

Peter took a coffee, giving Olivia quick kiss on the cheek as he took a piece of cake too. She smiled as he settled himself back behind the desk and the stack of files. Simon shrugged off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and started assisting Walter, both of them exchanging hushed conversation over the body.

"Olivia. You need to see this."

Olivia moved closer to Simon and Walter, taking in the deep frowns.

"What's wrong?"

"Walter waited for me to get back. He wanted my opinion on this."

For a boy who had been in the ground for a few months, Jerome's body was surprisingly clean with only a slight scent of decomposition. Simon was pointing at Jerome's skull. There was a neat patch where his hair had been removed and Olivia could clearly see the penetration of the bullet through the thick bone.

"What am I looking at?"

"The angle."

Olivia did as she was told, examining the wound more closely. It sat further back then she would have expected for a suicide. Most people who shot themselves went for the temple. This wound was further back, well behind the ear.

"Where is the exit wound?"

Simon and Walter rolled Jerome over slowly and carefully. The back of Jerome's skull was almost completely gone.

"Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I see the crime scene pictures for Jerome, please?"

She heard the shuffle of papers before Peter slipped the pictures into her hand. She finally tore her eyes from Jerome's body and glanced at the pictures in her hand.

"The injury and the crime scenes don't match. There's not enough blood."

Olivia turned her attention back to Jerome's body.

"The angle is wrong."

Olivia slid her gun from the holster, carefully removing the bullets and then testing to make sure it was completely empty. She double checked it before looking at the group.

"Why would you place the gun here-"

She angled the gun to the back of her head in the same position as Jerome supposedly used. It felt awkward holding the gun in that site.

"-Instead of here."

She slid the gun forward, pressing it to her temple. Peter cleared his throat.

"Please stop doing that."

Olivia offered him a soft smile before lowering the gun.

"Sorry. I just wanted to know how it felt."

"It makes no sense."

Olivia nodded slightly.

"It does. All these people, none of them were killed where they were found. There's not enough blood or evidence to support it. Why are some of them closed in the first place?"

No one had an answer for her. Olivia reloaded her gun before slipping it back into her holster.

"So we have the finances and the fact that the scenes were staged."

She turned to Simon with a slight smile.

"At least we have some good news for Becca."

* * *

The hours shifted past effortlessly. Olivia could hear the soft rumble of Peter's stomach beside her and it made her smile. They were all due for a feeding. Just then, there was a knock on the lab door. Olivia frowned, her eyes coming to rest on Simon, who merely grinned.

"Back up has arrived."

Simon stood and quickly covered the body of Jerome before making sure that Mrs Green was completely covered as well. They all watched as he pulled open the lab door, still confused.

"Ladies. Welcome."

Both Ruby and Julia, arms filled with boxes that were emanating delicious smells, stepped into the lab. Astrid moved first, quickly clearing up the pictures that they had all been studying. Peter and Olivia followed suit, clearing off the table completely. Walter moved forward, a wide smile on his face.

"Please excuse the mess. We weren't expecting visitors."

"Dr Bishop, this is my sister Julia."

"Hi."

Walter grinned widely.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Ruby smiled.

"Simon said that you guys needed feeding so we thought we could help."

Julia was staring at Gene, who was chewing her cud, watching the action.

"Why do you have a cow in your lab?"

Walter clapped his hands.

"She helps with our work."

Simon gave Ruby a quick kiss, pressing another one to Julia's cheek. Astrid took one box and Simon the other, laying them on the now-cleared table. Reach smells filled the lab and Olivia now felt her own stomach clench with hunger. She always forgot to eat. It was a terrible habit, one that had gotten better with Peter in her life but work still took priority. Soon the table was heavy with food and both Ruby and Julia had gone all out. There were freshly baked bread rolls, shiny slices of ham, potato salad, pasta salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, whipped cream, mustard and mayonnaise.

"This looks incredible."

Julia shrugged.

"Henry likes his bread baked and when Simon called, I chucked on a few extra loaves. You should eat them while they are hot."

Julia turned to Simon, who was whispering something in Ruby's ear.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"I'm not sure Jules. We have a lot of work to do."

Ruby smiled brightly.

"Anything I can help with?"

Olivia opened her mouth to comment but it was cut off by Simon's hand on her arm.

"Olivia, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

They moved away from the small group, who we already starting to eat.

"She might be able to help Olivia."

Olivia sighed.

"I don't know Simon. What we do here-"

"She knows what you do here."

Olivia flinched slightly.

"How does she know?"

"I told her."

"Simon, you can't-"

"Ruby was classified too. She dropped out when her partner was murdered. She's seen some things as well. She could help."

"Simon-"

"Please Olivia. She knows what confidential means."

Olivia narrowed her eyes.

"Do you?"

Olivia ignored Simon's flinch at her words.

"Do you know what you have done? Don't you remember what happened to you when we allowed you into the fold? You almost died."

"So did you."

"Yes, but I knew exactly what I was getting into. This is what I do. It's not what Ruby does. And I don't want her life in my hands."

"Then I take complete responsibility. Being home, being domestic, it's not what she's used too. Stick her behind the computer if you want. Keep her here in the lab with Walter. Whatever you want to do. Just let her help. A fresh pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

"It could hurt her."

Simon shook his head.

"She is fully capable of taking care of herself."

Olivia sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"Fine but when things start really moving-"

"She's out. I promise. Thank you."

Simon moved away before Olivia came to her senses and changed her mind. She sat down with the others, her appetite suddenly gone as she watched Simon and Ruby talking. She could understand the stress that Ruby was going through with not working. She had been there herself more than once. When normal life took over, it could almost seem not part of reality. But if Ruby was to make it as a civilian it was something that she would have to get used too. She didn't realize she was staring until a full plate was placed in front of her. She lifted her eyes to see Peter, a small concerned look on his face.

"You need to eat."

"I know. I was just thinking."

"Anything you care to share?"

"Not right now."

"Ok. Well, eat something will you? You're starting to fade away."

Olivia smiled, humouring him, taking a big bite of the roll, which was stuffed with ham and mustard. As soon as she did that, her stomach took over. By the time the feast was done, Olivia had eaten three rolls and two plates of salad.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N - Hey guys. Thanks for all the reviews...it's nice to see some new faces there!_

_Sorry about the delay in this chapter - not intentional, I promise. Just I do not have a solid net connection and it makes it more interesting getting these chapters to you._

_Oh and just to clear things up...The Testing Man urban legend is a little bit of made up information. I combined it with several others to make it work...it's more based on the drinking game than anything else. _

_I'll be posting three chapters today to ease my guilt :)_

_So, as always...Read, enjoy and review!_

Chapter Nine – The Angel From My Nightmares

Peter left things alone until they got home. Walter pottered in the kitchen while Olivia bid him goodnight and headed upstairs. She needed a long hot shower to get her thoughts together. She stripped off, set the shower as hot as she could stand and stood underneath the steady spray. She was still in denial about agreeing to let Ruby help them. What was she thinking? Why did she agree? Perhaps it was lingering guilt about what had happened to Simon. The fact he almost died still bothered her. There was enough blood on her hands without the help of more innocent, curious people. There was a soft knock on the door and Olivia instinctively grabbed a towel.

"I'm in here, Walter. Give me a few more minutes."

"It's me. Walter is baking."

Peter slipped into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him. Olivia sighed and put the towel back onto the sink, closing the shower curtain and stepping back under the welcoming heat.

"What's bothering you?"

Peter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the sink.

"Really? You're going to ask me while I'm showering?"

"Why not? You get to tell me what is bothering you and I get to see you naked. The situation works for both of us."

Olivia laughed as she rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair.

"Pervert."

"Nope. I've seen you naked plenty of times. I'm not at the window with binoculars."

Olivia sighed, cleaning off the last of the soap, finally switching the shower off. Peter handed her a towel and wrapped it around herself and stepped out of the tub.

"I agreed to let Ruby help us."

Peter's eyes widened.

"You did?"

"Yes. And now I am second guessing that decision."

"Why did you say yes in the first place?"

Olivia shrugged, pulling open the bathroom door and heading into their room. Peter closed the door behind them, slipping the lock into place. He sat on the bed and watched as she dried herself off and pulled on some track pants and a shirt.

"I don't know. Guilt?"

"And what exactly are you meant to be feeling guilty about?"

"The danger we put Simon in….the fact I feel as if I owe him something for that? Pick one."

Olivia sat heavily on the bed next to Peter and started brushing out her hair aggressively, enjoying the small tug as the brush fingers hit small tangles. Peter sighed and pulled the brush from her hand, stilling her furious movement.

"Did Simon say that to you?"

Olivia scoffed.

"No. He's too nice to do that."

"Then where exactly did you get the idea that you should feel guilty about anything?"

"I just do."

Peter put the hairbrush onto the bedside table, before pushing Olivia's hair put f her face, capturing her chin so she was forced to focus on him. She studied his face, the smooth plains and sharp angles that she knew so well and the prickly stubble that always felt delicious under her hands. Her eyes traced over his lips and the corner of his mouth that always held a smile.

"You have no need to feel guilty."

"If Ruby gets hurt-"

"What did Simon say to that?"

"He agreed that if it gets crazy, he will pull her out."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that I should have said no. Ruby is important to Simon, Peter. I don't think I can live with myself if she gets hurt."

Peter sighed, taking her hands in his.

"You know how you had that car accident and you were forced to rest?"

"Yeah. Don't remind me."

Peter chuckled.

"Well, it drove you nuts. If you had your way, you would have been out of the hospital five minutes after the accident. But you needed to stop. Even if it was forced. Ruby is kind of going through the same thing. She has chosen to leave her life, her career for a change at a normal life. It's hard to do that. Simon is trying to make it easier on her, give her something to do. Why should you feel guilty when it is something she wants?"

"Because we both know how dangerous that doing that is going to be. We don't know what we are going to find at the end of all of this Peter."

"Does she know what we do?"

Olivia frowned.

"Yes. Simon told her. Which he shouldn't have."

"Well, since she knows and frankly, having extra help is not a bad thing, then why is it an issue? If Simon agreed to pull her out when things start really moving, then how about we just see how this goes?"

Olivia sighed.

"I wish you would stop making sense. I can't argue with you when you do that."

Peter smiled and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"That's why I'm here. Someone needs to make you see sense every once and a while. Now, if I give you back your hair brush, are you still trying to pull your hair out? Because you will look mighty odd bald."

Olivia finally smiled.

"Fine."

She brushed her hair as she watched Peter get changed, pulling his boxer shorts over his narrow hips.

"So what do you think of Ruby?"

Peter shrugged.

"She seems nice. It was good of her and Julia to bring all that food over tonight."

"Yeah, you needed to eat. I could hear your stomach rumbling."

Peter moved closer to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You, my dear, aren't exactly a delicate flower yourself."

Olivia chuckled.

"Kind of hard to be a delicate FBI agent."

"Being delicate is overrated. I like a woman who can do stuff for herself. Plus, the gun is just plain sexy."

"You have issues. Severe ones. I think you need help."

Peter laughed and gave her another kiss.

"No I don't. I only need you. The rest I can deal with."

Olivia lifted the covers, swinging her legs underneath. Peter came around the other side of the bed, settling himself beside her, reaching over to slick off the light, encasing them in darkness. Olivia sighed as she snuggled into Peter. Despite what he said, she could not help the small niggling of concern that was there. But she was just going to deal with it.

"Stop worrying. Ruby will be fine. Walter likes her, which is a bonus. He wouldn't let her into the lab otherwise."

"I know."

"And Simon would never let her get hurt. He's as crazy about her as I am about you."

"You let me go into dangerous situations all the time."

"Only because it is far more dangerous trying to stop you."

Olivia pressed a kiss to his bare chest, closing her eyes and focusing on his steady breathing and his heart as it beat softly beneath her ear. She was on the brink of sleep when a loud thump made her jump.

"What the hell was that?"

They both sat up, their ears trained on the lower part of the house. A few moments later, there was another, even louder thump, followed by a low moan. They both moved into action, Olivia grabbing her gun from the bedside table. Side by side they flew down the stairs, pausing at the lower step. Walter jumped off the sofa, a small frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Olivia sighed and lowered her gun. Peter stepped further into the living room.

"What the hell was that Walter?"

"Sorry son. I was baking and dropped a few things."

"Yeah, we heard that. Is everything ok?"

Walter smiled widely.

"Yes of course. Why?"

Peter groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"We thought something was wrong."

"No. Everything is fine. Would you like some caramel slice?"

"No, we don't want any caramel slice. Please keep the noise down to a dull roar."

Peter turned on his heel and headed back upstairs, Olivia close behind. They climbed back into bed, flicking off the light again. But even snuggled up under the covers again, the peace was broken and Olivia was now aware of every move that Walter made beneath them. She sighed, her eyes wide and no longer heavy. The fright had scattered the need to sleep away entirely. If she was home, she would grab a drink and snuggle with the files for the case. But if she left the room she would have to deal with Walter. And he would just distract her. Or she would eat too much caramel slice. Either way, it would not end well.

"I'm sorry."

Olivia searched Peter's face in the darkness.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I know that you prefer your place and for good reason. Tonight was great demonstration for you argument."

"Don't be silly."

"We're both wide awake. We should be sleeping right now."

Olivia shrugged.

"It's not a big deal."

Peter pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"One day, you and I will get a house of our own. A big one. Just me and you."

"Really?"

"Definitely."

"So, what is our house going to look like?"

It took an hour of Peter whispering in the dark, describing their fictional home before Olivia felt the tug of sleep again. She closed her eyes and let Peter's warm voice and delicious words carry her away, their home dancing behind her lids.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten – The Science Behind My Madness

It felt like five minutes after her eyes closed that her phone started ringing beside her. She picked it up, still buried under the covers.

"Dunham."

"Hey Olivia, it's Simon. When are you heading to the lab?."

"Soon. What's up?"

"Ruby thinks she found something."

All traces of sleepiness gone, Olivia sat up, letting the blankets fall from her body.

"What?"

"She thinks she knows how Mrs Green died. We want to take another look at the body."

"Head to the lab. Astrid should be in. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Olivia ended the call and pushed herself out of the bed. It took her another moment to realize that Peter wasn't in bed beside her. She listened carefully and could hear the soft sound of him singing in the shower. She smiled as she got dressed, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

* * *

When they arrived at the lab, Walter in tow, Simon, Ruby and Astrid were leaning over the body of Mrs Green . Walter, deeply unimpressed and having already told Peter and Olivia he felt like his lab was being invaded, strode forward, flustered and angry.

"What are you doing?"

Olivia moved forward.

"Walter, I said they-"

"I DON"T CARE WHAT YOU SAID!"

Olivia flinched away from Walter's booming voice. For a man who barely raised his voice, he had an incredibly thunderous volume. It wasn't just Olivia who froze. Everyone else did too. The behaviour was so unlike Walter that a shocked silence fell. Walter huffed, his fists clenched at his sides.

"This is my lab. You have no right to come in here without my permission."

Walter passed a hard glare over Simon and Ruby before turning on his heel and heading to his office. If his yelling wasn't enough, the loud slamming of his door certainly made it clear where Walter stood on the subject of people being in the lab without him. Peter sighed and made a move to follow his father but paused when Olivia touched his arm.

"I'll go. I was the one who agreed to it."

Peter nodded slightly, moving towards Simon, Ruby and Astrid. Olivia knocked lightly on the office door before pushing it open.

"Walter, can I come in?"

Walter said nothing, sitting at his desk, his head in his hands. Olivia slipped into the room and shut the door quietly. She took a seat across from him, leaning forward slightly.

"I'm sorry Walter. I was the one who told Simon and Ruby to come in without us. She thought she found something."

Walter shook his head, finally raising his head.

"I am not angry at you. I am angry at them."

Olivia frowned.

"Them?"

"Ruby and Simon. I don't trust them."

"Walter, you like Simon and Ruby."

Walter shook his head.

"I don't trust them."

"Why?"

Walter stood and started moving behind his desk.

"I know what Simon wants. And I'm not going to allow this to happen."

"Walter, calm down. You've lost me. What does Simon want exactly?"

Walter frowned.

"I overheard your conversation the other night. Simon is trying to get you to leave Peter. And I will not stand by and watch my son get hurt because some little-"

"Walter! You misheard. Which is what happens when you eavesdrop."

Walter stood still, his body stiff.

"I did not eavesdrop. I just happened to be there when you talked."

Olivia offered him a soft smile.

"Walter, I'm not leaving Peter. Simon is not trying to take me away from Peter. In fact, Simon is going to ask Ruby to marry him. Doesn't sound like an evil plan to carry me away, now does it?"

"Really?"

"Yes."

Olivia pushed herself out of the chair, making her way around the desk and taking Walter's hand.

"Peter has nothing to worry about, ok? I'm not going anywhere."

Walter huffed but didn't try to pull away from her. Olivia offered him a small smile.

"You don't have to trust Simon or Ruby but you do need to trust me. Can you do that?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I trust you."

"Then there shouldn't be an issue."

Walter sighed and softly nodded. Olivia released his hand and moved back to the door, leaving the office and Walter to his thoughts. She hadn't realized that he had heard their conversation the other night. He hadn't heard the whole conversation clearly and took Peter's concern to heart. She caught Peter's eye and he moved towards her, out of the earshot of the others.

"What's up with him?"

"He overheard our conversation the other night. He thinks Simon has come back to try and steal me away."

"Crazy old bugger. Why would he think that?"

"In his defence, you thought the same thing."

"I know but that's not the point. Why was he even listening?"

"I don't know. He thinks Simon is out to hurt you, to hurt us. But I told him that neither of you have anything to worry about. He wasn't aware that Simon wants to marry Ruby."

"And after you told him that?"

"He seems fine. I told him that he didn't have to trust Simon or Ruby but he had to trust me."

"What did he say to that?"

"He said he did. He should behave now."

Olivia nodded towards Simon, Ruby and Astrid.

"So what's the theory?"

"I'm not sure. Ruby is dissecting Mrs Green's heart."

"Why?"

"No idea."

Olivia and Peter made their way to where all the action was. No one said anything about Walter's behaviour which surprised Olivia. Her, Peter and Astrid were used to Walter's odd little behaviour but Simon and Ruby were not. But they kept working as if nothing had happened at all. Which Olivia was grateful for.

"Olivia nice of you to join us."

Simon offered Olivia a small smile before lowering his eyes back to Ruby's busy hands. Olivia was fairly certain she wouldn't get an answer if she asked how Ruby knew how to dissect a human heart. She did it with a confident, well-practised air, her small hands moving nimbly through the tissue and muscle.

"Ruby, care to share your theory?"

Ruby smiled, the goggles she was wearing actually making seem even younger. She looked like a high school student playing doctor.

"In a moment. Once I find what I am looking for. I wanted Dr. Bishop to confirm the theory for me."

"Well, since you've already cut open a perfectly fine specimen of a heart, what choice do I have?"

Walter's voice still had an edge to it as he flicked daggers at Ruby. Ruby merely shrugged.

"I don't mind either way, Dr Bishop. Because if I am right, we break open the case. If I am wrong, you can harvest the heart for samples."

Walter nodded slightly.

"That is a very good point, Miss Carter."

Ruby worked in steady silence until finally she gasped and smiled.

"Bingo!"

When they all leaned in to examine what she found, she pointed to a tiny char mark that was no bigger than a pin prick.

"She was electrocuted."

Olivia frowned.

"What?"

Ruby nodded, smiling brightly.

"You'll find the entry point somewhere on her body. Either way, it was rigged to hit her heart, which faltered and then stopped. No matter how healthy her heart, her age was against her. Her body couldn't protect itself or recover the way it would have when she was younger."

"Well done, Miss Carter."

Walter's compliment came out in a low huff of breath, as if he reluctant to pay it to her. He cut the sample from the heart and put it under the microscope. Before he examined it, he glanced at Peter and Simon.

"Search her body for the entry point. Everywhere. From the crown of her head to her toes."

Peter glanced at Simon.

"We get all the fun jobs."

Astrid grinned.

"Better you than me."

Ruby slipped off her bloodied gloves and moved closer to Walter.

"Thank you Dr Bishop."

Walter frowned at her.

"For what?"

"For allowing me to work in your lab and dissect the heart. I haven't done that since medical school."

Olivia raised her eyebrow at Peter. So that's where she learnt that little trick. Good to know it wasn't anything to terrible. Walter caught Olivia' eyes and she smiled slightly at him, hoping that he chose to trust he and what she had said in the office. Ruby was a lovely woman and didn't deserve Walter's cold shoulder just because she was caught up in his suspicions that Simon was going to take Olivia away from Peter.

"You are welcome. I apologize for my earlier outburst. I find it difficult to give up my personal space."

Ruby smiled.

"It's forgotten."

Walter nodded once and ducked behind his microscope. He hummed for a moment before looking at Ruby again.

"I believe, my dear, you have broken open the case. It looks as if you are correct."

Olivia was still trying to put the pieces together in her head when her phone rang. She looked at the screen before accepting the call.

"Hi Broyles."

"Dunham we have another body."

Olivia turned away from the others.

"Is it connected?"

"Hard to say. But I would appreciate Dr Bishop's input on this one."

Olivia turned back and glanced at Ruby.

"I think I have the next best thing."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven – Give Me A Reason

"Simon put you up to this, didn't he?"

Olivia glanced at Ruby before settling her eyes back on the road again.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because Simon had told me stories about you and Peter. There's no way that this would be happening without him requesting it."

Olivia smiled slightly.

"Letting you in on the case, that was his request. After seeing you dissect Mrs Green's heart and hearing you went to medical school allowed me to invite you on this particular adventure."

"Well, I appreciate it. It's been driving me crazy being at home with Julia. I don't think I am built for domesticity."

"It's not easy."

"You do it."

"Not quite. I still get to run cases even though I play house with Peter. And Walter for the moment."

"That must be a task."

"Living with Walter? Certainly is. Which is why we spend most of our time at my apartment. Mrs Green used to live in the apartment above mine and the running water created a leak in my apartment. So I get to play house with the both of them for a while."

Ruby shook her head.

"I don't know how you do that."

"What? Live with Walter?"

Ruby chuckled.

"No. Living and working with Peter."

Olivia shrugged.

"It's not too bad. You would know. You were in Antarctica for six months with Simon."

Ruby's mouth pinched.

"Yeah, that wasn't what I expected when I went there. Did Simon tell you how I ended up there?"

Olivia shook her head. Ruby sighed.

"I watched someone I worked with get murdered. And it changed things, you know? I couldn't do my job the way I used too. I couldn't find that passion or drive anymore. When I got offered the position to Antarctica, I took it. I needed some time to think, I needed time to breathe."

Olivia frowned.

"I'm sorry. I've been through that too. A good friend of mine was murdered. But I had it a little easier. Peter was there to help me where he could."

"Simon tries. He wants to make our life good but it's hard. I went from a life of action and movement to a life of house hunting and baking. It's a hard change to make when I'm still grieving that friend that I lost. Simon wants to be normal, he wants to get a boring job and live in a house with kids and a dog. I just don't know if I can be like that too."

It was long confession, an unexpected one that made Olivia feel terrible for Simon. He loved Ruby, wanted her in his life but clearly there were still things that needed to be worked out. It seemed to Olivia that Simon got wrapped up in this idea of life outside of being classified and Ruby got tugged along for the ride.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. You barely know me and here I am just chucking my problems at you."

"Don't apologize. And believe it or not, I understand your issues, I really do. Just give yourself time, that's all. Things will slide into place."

"It's not that simple."

"Why?"

"Because Simon wants me to marry him. I found the ring in his pants when I was getting our laundry together."

"Oh."

"You knew?"

"He mentioned it when we were doing the dishes the other night."

Ruby chewed on the corner of her thumb.

"It's too much pressure."

Olivia parked the car near the crime scene and turned in her seat to look at Roby properly.

"Do you love Simon?"

"Yes."

"If he's the man I know him to be, he's going to be fine. You would not believe what Peter has had to put up with to be with me and I with him but we make it work. At the end of the day, if the other person thinks you are worth the effort, it doesn't matter if you need the time. He'll wait."

Ruby nodded slightly, slipping off her seatbelt and slipping out of the truck, Olivia following suit. Ruby remained beside her as they reached the crime scene tape around the small park. Olivia flashed her I.D and they ducked under the tape. Broyles frowned at Olivia at their approach, pulling Olivia slightly to the side.

"Who is that?"

"Ruby Carter."

"And why is she here?"

"To help me with this particular body."

Broyles studied Olivia for a moment, his eyes flicking over Ruby. He sighed and finally looked over towards the body. Olivia could see the form of the body, clearly a woman, lying on her back.

"Her name is Dinah Richards, thirty and she has been missing for three days. She said that she had a meeting to go to and when she didn't come home by the next morning her husband called the police."

"Why did it take him so long to report her missing?"

"She told him that she would be back in the morning."

"Did he say anything about any kind of financial issues?"

Broyles frowned, shaking his head.

"No. Why?"

"It's the theory."

"Ok, well I will go and question the husband and let you know."

"Thanks."

Olivia turned back to Ruby before heading towards the body. The first thing that struck Olivia was that Dinah was her clothes were wet. The second was the bloody tear to the top of her jeans, on the outer edges of her thigh. Olivia slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and gently pulled at the tear in her jeans. It looked like a stab wound, long but fairly shallow . Her clothes were in disarray but there was no evidence to suggest a sexual assault or anyone re-dressing her.

"So Ruby, what do you notice?"

"How wet she is. She's not damp like you would expect with the rain being on and off. She looks like she was dunked in water completely."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Do you mind if I check something?"

"Go for it."

Ruby carefully slipped on her gloves and made her way down to the waist of the victim. She put one hand on top of the other on the stomach, pressing hard. Dinah's body convulsed slightly before a mixture of blood and water came gushing from her mouth. It ceased as soon as Ruby removed her hands. Olivia frowned.

"She drowned."

Ruby nodded.

"Blood in the lungs is often present with a drowning. She's also more swollen than she should be given the temperature."

Olivia took a quick glance around them, failing to see any body of water that Dinah could drown in. Even the puddles that had been forming with the rain were almost completely dry.

"She didn't die here?"

Ruby shook her head.

"I wouldn't think so."

"So she has a stab wound and she drowned."

"That's not all."

Ruby held up Dinah's hand. The tops of her fingers were bloodied and torn up, small slivers of what looked like wood sticking out of the flesh.

"She put up a hell of a fight."

* * *

With Dinah Richards in tow, they headed back to the lab. When they got there, Olivia was surprised to see Mrs Green's body covered and tucked back into the corner of the room.

"Did you find the entry point?"

Peter offered her a small smile.

"Yeah we did. She had a very slight burn mark on her chest but it was hidden under the damage from the water. But we found it. And it wasn't fun."

Olivia nodded towards the body that the coroner was pulling in.

"We have another one. Dinah Richards. Ruby thinks she may have drowned."

Walter frowned.

"Why?"

Ruby cleared her throat, directing her answer back to Walter.

"There is fluid present in her lungs and blood. This indicates drowning but there was nowhere present at the scene where it could have happened. The state of her hands also indicates a severe struggle."

Walter opened his mouth and then closed it again. He stood, took the rubber gloves that Astrid offered him and watched while Astrid started unwrapping the body. Olivia smiled. Ruby one, Walter zero. This particular woman knew how to hold her ground. Olivia wondered over to Peter, who was still going over the files.

"How's it going?"

"Pretty well. Simon's theory on finances looks pretty solid. All the information that Astrid had found points to the fact that every victim had some sort of issue with money. From homes going under to medical costs, everything is covered."

"Good. Broyles talked to Dinah's husband and it turns out that they were having some financial issues too."

Peter sat back, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm starting to think that this urban legend is a real thing. All of these people went missing for no longer than 48 hours, all were found in the clothes they were last seen in and all had associated injuries."

"Well, Dinah has a stab would on her thigh but it wasn't deep enough to kill her."

"Mrs Green didn't have any other injuries that we could find."

"What about Jerome?"

"Hard to tell with him being in the ground for so long. It will be the same with any of the other bodies we exhume as well. In this case, fresher is better."

They both looked over to where Dinah, now naked, was lying before Walter, Astrid, Ruby and Simon. Wordlessly, they had each seemed to take a certain section of the body. Ruby was focused on the hands, taking pictures and samples. Simon was examining the stab wound, his hands running over the smooth edges, trying to figure out the depth. Walter was busy extracting fluid from Dinah's lings and stomach, the blood giving it a horrible colour in the syringe.

"Hey guys?"

They all turned to Astrid, who was clearing out the clothing that Dinah had been wearing. She held up a large slip of papers.

"These look like I.O.U's."

"Can I have a look?"

Astrid handed the slips to Peter, who flicked through them quickly.

Looks like our girl had a gambling problem. She owed thousands."

"Who too?"

Olivia moved closer to Peter.

"No last names. It's normal for slips to not have last names. She was expected to know."

"Is it possible one of them did this to her?"

Peter shook his head slowly.

"It looks as if she still had a little time before she had to cough up. They would rather have the money than the issue of a body. Plus, these kinds of things usually come with warnings, a broken leg or a threat to the family but not death. Not for a while anyway."

"I think we need to talk to Mr Richards."

"I doubt he knew. And if he did, he would have kept it really quiet."

"Why?"

"Because gambling is right up there with alcoholism. Plenty of denial and it usually takes something big to push them out of the denial."


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N - Sorry guys. I've had so pretty big family stuff to deal with - and then I lost my voice and remained housebound for a few days...so forgive me and I will post two chapters today.._

_You know what I love...bring on the reveiws people. Feed the beast that is me_

_xo_

Chapter Twelve – She's Mine

Jackson Richards was a tall man, one that left Olivia feeling decidedly short. His face was pale, his eyes lined with red. He was grieving but he didn't question her about it. He merely nodded when she introduced herself and stepped away from the door, allowing her to find her own way into their home. Olivia flicked over the family pictures, ones that showed smiling Dinah and Jackson, their arms wrapped around two little girls.

"My daughters are with my parents right now. They don't know about their mother and I wish to keep it that way for now. Why are you here?"

"I have a few questions for you regarding Dinah."

"What?"

"Did your wife have a gambling problem?"

She knew that the question would hurt; causing pain when there was more than enough already. But there was no way to coat this nicely; there was no way to avoid the question. They needed to know.

"No."

Olivia extracted the slips in their little evidence bag from her pocket. She held them up, watching as Jackson's eyes widened.

"We found these in her pocket."

"Oh."

"So again, did your wife have a gambling problem?"

"Yes."

"Is it the reason that you have financial issues?"

"It was the reason we had all sorts of issues."

Jackson moved deeper into the living room, taking a bottle from the shelf and pouring a tall glass of whiskey. He drunk deeply before refilling it.

"She re-mortgaged the house. She emptied our saving accounts and the college accounts for our girls."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Years. I knew she had a problem but I didn't know how bad it was only people started coming to knock on our door, wanting their money back."

"Where did she go when she left the other day?"

"I don't know. We argued and then she left. Tell me, Agent Dunham. How am I meant to tell my little girls that their mother is dead? That I wasn't enough, that they weren't enough to keep her healthy? I couldn't keep her safe from her demons."

Olivia wished she could give him an answer, something that could give him peace. But there was nothing she could say. And the truth was that in all likelihood, Jackson would never know the real reason behind her death. Because that was part of keeping the world protected from these events. The truth was far riskier than the lie they chose to tell.

"How did she die?"

Olivia swallowed.

"It looks as if she drowned."

Jackson nodded slightly.

"I think I'll use that when I tell my daughters what happened. A little white lie to protect the innocent."

Olivia nodded slightly.

"I understand. Would you like me to let you know if there is any development in the case?"

Jackson shook his head.

"No. I don't want to know."

Olivia opened her mouth to protest but she knew that there was little point in doing so. Mr Richards wanted the lie. It was the only thing he was comfortable with. Olivia bid her farewell and headed back out to the truck. She was about to start the engine when there was a movement out of the corner of her eye. She watched as a man stepped out of the red car that was sitting a few cars behind her. She watched as he looked around him before heading to the Richards house. He knocked and Jackson let him in. She watched for a few moments longer before she started the engine and headed back to the lab.

* * *

Three days later, with Dinah's body processed, Olivia was out with Peter. She couldn't relax. They didn't have much to move on and it was making her anxious. Dinah Richards's body was the last thing they had to use and all it did was confuse them further. The stab wound was shallow and from what Walter could conclude, self-inflicted. Broyles hadn't been able to get any of the other families to agree to exhumation and Olivia wished they had the man power to speak to each family and explain why they needed those bodies. It didn't help that a number of them had been cremated. So, leaving Walter and Astrid at the lab, Peter had managed to convince Olivia to leave the lab. She didn't want too. She wanted to stay here at the lab where she could monitor everything. But Peter hadn't been wrong. She needed to breath a different kind of air for a little while. Which is why, when he kidnapped her from the lab, she was surprised to see that they didn't head home.

"Where are we going?"

"You need to relax."

"And where are we doing that?"

"Away from the lab."

Every time she asked where they were going, Peter would run her around in circles, not giving her a straight answer. It made her suspicious. Then it was over taken by surprise when they pulled up in front of her apartment block. Olivia frowned.

"You're letting me go home?"

"Not quite. You're just going to pack a bag for tonight."

"But all my things are at your place."

"Well, we aren't going back there. So we're just here to grab what you need. Just for the night."

"Why?"

"Do you want me to do it or are you going to stop asking me questions and do it yourself?"

Olivia sighed.

"Fine."

She knew Peter would come with her. Of course he would. When she unlocked her door, she was assailed by the smell of dampness. She went to check out the damage and it was clear that the landlord still hadn't fixed the problem. She sighed and headed into her room, gathering a change of clothes and something to sleep in and stuffing it in a back pack. Peter smiled when she came back out of the room.

"Ready?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure for what."

"Good."

She locked the door behind her and they went back down to the truck. When they were driving again, Peter offered her a small smile.

"There is a rule though."

"What's that?"

"No talking about the case."

"Well, then we will have nothing to talk about."

Peter laughed.

"I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere nice so you and I can have a break. Because you know that this kind of peace won't last for long."

"This isn't peace. This is a wall."

"And until we figure out a way to smash it down, how about we enjoy it?"

Within ten minutes, Olivia finally knew what Peter was trying to do. She didn't have her own space at the moment living with the Walter and he knew that that was a big deal to her. His solution? Taking her to one of the flashiest hotels in Boston.

"Peter-"

"Liv, you need a break. And I know how tough it has been on you living with Walter. So I decided to treat us to a night of luxury."

Peter got out of the truck, moving around to open the door for Olivia. He took out her back pack and his own, and with her hand tucked securely in his own, they entered the hotel. They checked in and when they were shown the room, Olivia was blown away again. It had a beautiful view of the city but it also had a sense of isolation to it, the perfect escape for them both. She was still looking out the window, taking it all in when Peter finally closed the door, locking it and coming up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist. The heat of his breath tickled her earlobe.

"Just us. Ok? One night. No case. No Walter. Just us."

Olivia leaned into him.

"Does that mean we can have room service?"

"You can have whatever you want."

"But no talking about the case?"

"Nope. We are going to relax and have some fun before the real world comes crashing in again."

"Why? Are we expecting a visit from Walter?"

Peter's laughter vibrated through her back.

"I told him not to disturb us unless it is an emergency. And to pass it by Astrid first."

Olivia, extracting herself from Peter's embrace, decided to get into her pyjamas. She had no plans to leave this room. She pulled out the shorts and t-shirt that she had packed with little thought, grateful that the hotel had central heating. Peter offered her a smile.

"Getting ready for a night in, are we?"

Olivia paused.

"Did you have something else planned?"

Peter shook his head.

"Nope. But I'm surprised that you aren't fighting me on this."

Olivia sighed, sitting on the end of the large, soft bed.

"I needed this. I just didn't know it."

Peter picked up the phone.

"Champagne? "

"Sounds like a plan."

She was only half listening as Peter put the order through to room service. She had reached the small fridge, pulling out two tiny bottles of whiskey. She filled two glasses with some ice, pouring in the dark liquid before handing it to Peter. They tapped glasses gently.

"So, are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?"

"Nothings bothering me."

"Liar."

Olivia sighed, sitting back on the bed, resting against the soft pillows.

"Ruby told me something."

"What?"

"She knows that Simon wants to propose."

Peter took a seat beside her, kicking off his shoes.

"Ok."

Olivia took a deep pull of her drink, the whiskey leaving a nice burn in her chest. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea. What if something happened on the case and they were pulled from their little nirvana?

"What if Broyles-"

"He won't."

Olivia nodded slightly.

"I'm trusting you on this."

Peter watched as she took another drink, the corner of his mouth twitching with smile.

"It's about time."

He nudged her with his foot.

"So keep talking. What else did Ruby say?"

"That she was overwhelmed by being….normal. Worse still, I don't think Simon sees it the way she does. He's been wanting it for so long that he just presumes she does too."

Peter sipped his drink.

"I don't have any advice on that I'm afraid."

"But it's not like I can tell Simon this. It would crush him."

"She needs to talk to him."

"I told her that. I told her that he would be wait if he's in love with her and that he wouldn't mind."

"But it's never that simple, is it? Will loving her be enough to keep her from running?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen – Careless Whisper

Hours later, Olivia was still staring at the ceiling. Normally it would be the case that chased her sleep away but this time it was concern for her friend. She wanted Simon to have his dream of a normal life. But what if that dream cost someone else their freedom? Ruby was a bit of a free spirit, you didn't have to know her for too long to see that. What if she said yes to him and things went bad further down the track? Olivia had spent a large chunk of her life with only two things to focus on outside of her job. Rachel and Ella were her family and were the most important thing to her. Charlie was her only friend and even then, that friendship was work based. She wasn't used to worrying about her friends this much because she hadn't really had any to worry about. Now she had Peter, Astrid and Walter. Adding Simon to the mix was making her feel strange. She rolled out of Peter's embrace gently, doing her best not to wake him. He had made such an effort, trying to give her a chance to have a bit of space from Walter. Olivia grabbed one of the strawberries that was still left on the tray, dipping it into the cool chocolate. She nibbled on it as she slid open the door that led to the balcony. The night air, icy and hard, hit her bare skin and she shivered as she took in the city that rose up beneath her. She wondered if somewhere out there, another name was being picked out of the hat, if someone else was being tortured by a person they were no closer to finding. She had a small flash of guilt, glancing at Peter, as if he could hear her thoughts. It had been nice, having a case free evening. And his efforts at making it a great night, had worked. Until he had fallen asleep, she hadn't thought much at all. Except for the situation with Simon and Ruby. The idea of Simon getting hurt caused the delicious food they had for dinner to harden in her stomach. She hated carrying such a secret from him. He had saved her life. And for that, Olivia felt as if she owed him. She didn't know why, but she did. She also wondered what side of the fence he would land on when he found out that she knew all along that Ruby wasn't ready and that he was setting himself up for a fall.

"Hey, it's cold out there."

She turned, offering Peter a sad smile.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Peter shrugged, pushing his way out of the covers. He grabbed the blanket off the end of the bed and made his way over to her. He pulled the blanket around him like a cape, stepping outside and embracing Olivia, wrapping her in the blanket and pulling her close to him. She shivered at the sudden change in temperature, letting Peter's body heat seep into her bones. He felt so good, so comfortable and so solid. One of the few things in her life she knew was solid enough to take the hits that came with their job and loving her. He kissed the side of her head.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Take a wild guess."

"We can't get involved. It's up to them to decide what they are going to do."

Olivia shook her head.

"It's not that. It's the secrets. I hate them."

She knew he was frowning behind her, could hear it in his voice.

"Keeping secrets is what we do."

"No like this. This secret feels like a betrayal. This isn't one I want to keep."

Peter tightened his grip on her, but he stayed silent.

"He's changed."

"Who?"

"Simon. He's better. She's changed him."

"The people who love us often do that."

Olivia smiled softly.

"Seems to be a good thing in this case."

"So you really think he's changed?"

"He's not wearing suits."

"That could be left over from the Antarctica adventure. They would lose him to the penguins otherwise."

Olivia laughed, the sound getting carried into the darkness and over the city.

"True."

Peter rearranged his grip on her, his fingers stroking the bare skin of her arms.

"Would it make you feel better if you told Simon what Ruby told you?"

Olivia shook her head slightly.

"I don't think so. Keeping a secret is the lesser of two evils. Keep it or tell him and crush him completely."

"He might surprise you."

Olivia sighed taking in a deep breath.

"We should get back to bed."

Peter pushed open the door and Olivia slipped from his embrace and back into bed. He slipped in bedside her after tossing the blanket back over her. She kissed his softly.

"Thanks for this."

"It didn't have the effect that I wanted."

"How so?"

"You being on the cold balcony in a t-shirt and shorts should be a good indication that it failed."

"But it's not the case. So, technically speaking, it did the trick."

Peter growled low in his chest.

"If it's not one thing, it's always the other."

"It's never been the other before. Do you know what I realized?"

"What?"

"I have never had this many friends to be concerned about before."

She saw Peter's frown in the soft darkness.

"Really?"

"Sadly, yes. I have Walter, Astrid and Simon."

"What about Charlie?"

The memory of Charlie caused a soft tug in her heart, his face popping into her mind.

"Charlie was a work friend."

"And what about me?"

Olivia shook her head.

"I don't really think of you as a friend. You're right up there with Ella and Rachel."

"Wow, I am doing well."

Olivia snuggled into him, closing her eyes, hoping it was a sign for sleep to take her with little effort. Peter pressed a kiss to her temple. He was asleep long before she was, but eventually, sleep claimed her.

* * *

When Olivia opened her eyes the next morning, she was confused by the unfamiliar ceiling. It took her a few moments to remember what Peter had done for her, kidnapping her from real life for an evening. The next thing she registered was the steady chirp of her phone.

"Dunham."

"It's Broyles. Where are you?"

Olivia frowned.

"Why? Do we have another body?"

"No. Walter just refused to tell me. I need you to come in as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Because you need to come in. I can't explain over the phone."

"Do I come to headquarters?"

"No. I'll meet you at the lab. How soon can you get here?"

"I need to get dressed. Half an hour?'

"Be as quick as you can."

The phone call ended abruptly and Olivia moved quickly. She may have been mistaken but she could have sworn Broyles sounded panicked. Never a good sign.

* * *

When they arrived back at the lab, they had barely greeted Walter and Astrid before Broyles shuffled both of them into Walter's office. He pulled his laptop from under his arm, pushing it open. He clicked a few keys, found what he was looking for and started to read out loud.

_Beneath the stillness of our city, there is a monster in its depths. We have all heard the stories, the urban legends that float around the city. Things that can never happen but bite at your mind at night nonetheless. But what if the urban legends are true? What if you need to worry about the madman with the hook, the box that contains the demonic spirit or alligators in the sewers? What if the bump you heard at night really was something under your bed?_

_I am a sceptic by nature. I like to see the proof behind any kind of pudding, so to speak. And the things I have heard are deeply concerning. There is a killer on the loose and the authorities keep it quiet. For whatever reason, bodies are piling up yet there has been no warnings broadcast, nothing to tell the individuals of this fair city to keep their eyes open. Why is that? Do they fear how we will react or do they just fear that we will find whatever secrets they are keeping to themselves? _

_I have been observing this story from a distance for a while now. And it does not seem all on board if you ask me. One detective, a Special Agent Olivia Dunham took a rather young looking girl to a crime scene. Yet it was never reported who that body was. Or the fact that the same Agent Dunham, who fails to have issues with taking non-Agents to crime scenes, also has no issue with digging up the bodies that have finally been laid to rest. _

_As for the individuals who work for the FBI on these "undercover" cases, they range from a scientist that failed to be held mentally competent to stand trial for the murder of his assistant, an ex-con that is hunted by more than one party both here and overseas and a young scientist that was cleared of the murder of her fiancée._

_How can we trust our city in the hands of these people? What reason do we have to have them ensure that our lives are safe? If these cases are connected than we are in even more trouble than we first thought. Not only is there a killer out there that seems to invite people to decide how they will die in exchange for sums of money, there is also investigators that deserve to be under the microscope themselves._

"Where the hell did that come from?"

Broyles cleared his throat.

"From a website. We found it because when our system did a sweep, it lit up on your name."

"What site?"

"Something called thegovernmentlie

Peter frowned.

"Subtle."

Olivia shook her head slowly.

"What they said about Ruby?"

"One can only assume it's true. For all the crap this is going to get us, none of what they said is lies. You did take her on the field, we did exhume those bodies and they know about Walter."

"Which means-"

"We have a mole. And Miss Carter could be it."


End file.
